Pool proves too cool to skip school

The school principal at the community of Ali Curung says student attendance has risen to 67 per cent, double last year's attendance rate.

Stewart Bramston says incentives are on offer to keep students coming back and so far it is working.

He says incentives include trips to a local swimming pool, the Desert Park in Alice Springs and football matches in Tennant Creek.

"At the moment a student that comes for five days this week,[on] Friday afternoon for the last hour of school we've got a local watermelon farm that supports us at the school here where they've got a swimming pool," he said.

"And they go out and get a bit of an experience at the farm and have a swim."